Sign in with Facebook
Andrew Smith's Reviews > Up Country
Up Country
by
by
As a non-American, my knowledge of the Vietnam War was virtually nil. This book changed that significantly: it's not a chronological account of the battles, but as the story unfolds, it fulfils that role. It's set long after the war ends and features a veteran re-treading his steps as he carries out a mission on behalf of the military police. Anyone who has read The General's Daughter will recognise the lead character, Paul, Brenner.
The inspiration for the story was a post-war visit made to Vietnam by the author and some of his friends - all Vietnam veterans. Brenner was chosen as the vehicle for this tale as he is an established character who had completed two tours to the country during the war. It's a long book (over 850 pages), but, for me, it flowed so easily that it belied its length. Brenner (like many of DeMille's characters) is a wise cracking smart ass and I laughed a lot reading this book. But there's a lot more than that here, and I felt I learnt a lot and gained a reasonable perspective on what happened through those dark times and why. I also thoroughly enjoyed the engrossing tale. Great read.
The inspiration for the story was a post-war visit made to Vietnam by the author and some of his friends - all Vietnam veterans. Brenner was chosen as the vehicle for this tale as he is an established character who had completed two tours to the country during the war. It's a long book (over 850 pages), but, for me, it flowed so easily that it belied its length. Brenner (like many of DeMille's characters) is a wise cracking smart ass and I laughed a lot reading this book. But there's a lot more than that here, and I felt I learnt a lot and gained a reasonable perspective on what happened through those dark times and why. I also thoroughly enjoyed the engrossing tale. Great read.
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
Up Country.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
September 2, 2011
– Shelved
August 7, 2014
–
Started Reading
August 21, 2014
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-6 of 6 (6 new)
date
newest »
newest »
Thanks Larry. I have heard of Matterhorn, though I hadn't listed it as one to read. I'll rectify that now :)
In fact I've now purchased this on audio, so I'll be catching up with this book early in 2015. Thanks again, Larry.
Larry - thanks for suggesting Matterhorn. I've just finished it and thought it superb. It certainly delivered what you said it would. Thanks again.
I grew up watching nightly body counts on tv. In college, I watched my friends being drafted out of classrooms and sent to Vietnam. Some did not return. A spontaneous memorial service for one of them happened in an open field outside our dorm complex. It was moving. It became a huge gathering and remains a vivid memory. My cousin died in Binh Dihn in 1967. In sum, that war coloured our lives in garish colours. Result: I have never wanted to hear or learn more about that awful time in our lives and our country’s history.
Up Country has changed that for me. Yes, the book is character driven, but Brenner’s experiences, how they haunted him after 30 years, has finally given me the courage to read and learn more about the “American War.�
Respect to all who served.
Tess wrote: "I grew up watching nightly body counts on tv. In college, I watched my friends being drafted out of classrooms and sent to Vietnam. Some did not return. A spontaneous memorial service for one of th..."Many thanks for your input, Tess. We haven't been through that in the UK - well, not in my lifetime anyway. I think recent generations have been very lucky in that respect. It must have been terrible to have gone through the experience of losing friends and classmates that way and I can understand why you'd shy away from such accounts thereafter.
I think this is a really strong book, and one of the very best I've read about that dreadful war. Respect to those that served indeed.
If you want a more realistic account of the war, read Matterhorn by Karl Marlantis. I'm a big fan of Nelson DeMille and is greatly enjoyed Up Country but it was character rather than event driven.